Student dies on first date from allergic reaction after restaurant changed mahi mahi fish recipe
A 23-year-old Texas student tragically died after suffering an allergic reaction during a first date when a restaurant changed its recipe without informing diners.
Alison Pickering went into anaphylactic shock in May 2023 after consuming mahi-mahi fish containing undisclosed peanut sauce at a restaurant she frequently visited.
The Tarleton State University student, who had a severe peanut allergy, was just days away from graduating when she ordered the dish she had safely eaten many times before.
“She took a few bites, realised something was wrong,” her father Grover Pickering told CBS News.
Pickering immediately administered her EpiPen and called for emergency services. She was initially able to walk to the ambulance and communicate with paramedics.
“She actually walked to the ambulance talking to them, but somewhere along the way things went downhill,” Grover said.
The student never regained consciousness and died from “severe anaphylactic shock from ingesting peanuts that were not disclosed on the restaurant menu,” according to her obituary. Since discovering her peanut allergy in preschool, Pickering had been extremely cautious about her food choices.
“She would repeatedly go to the same restaurants and order the same dishes, you know. And that was a common thing,” her father told CBS News.
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She was known to avoid sauces and dips that might contain nut extracts, carefully selecting establishments she trusted.
Neither Pickering nor the restaurant’s waiting staff were aware that the kitchen had recently modified the recipe to include peanut sauce in the mahi-mahi dish. Her parents are now campaigning for greater food safety awareness in restaurants.
“We would love to see more done to make wait staff and patrons aware,” Joy Pickering said.
The family hopes to work with the Texas Restaurant Association to improve communication regarding ingredients. “To determine what guidelines could be put in place to help restaurants have better communication to their customers as far as ingredients, much like labels on grocery store items you buy,” Joy explained.
“I know we’re going to save lives by doing this,” Joy added.
“It’s tragic and it doesn’t need to happen to anyone else,” Grover said.
The Texas Legislature passed the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act last year, named after another victim who died from unknowingly consuming peanuts in 2014. The legislation requires restaurants to display posters containing information about food allergies and proper responses to allergic reactions.
It also mandates that food training programmes and manager certification exams include food allergies as a subject. The Pickering family are advocating to strengthen these measures, emphasising the need for clear communication between restaurants and customers regarding ingredient changes and potential allergens.